Category: Contre Jour

There has been a few rainy days in the gorge so a monochrome post seems very fitting at this time. It happened that just a trace of a sunset appeared in the last few minutes before dusk even though it was drizzling where we stood. This shot was processed in NIK silver effects Pro modified dynamic range setting with ‘structure’ reduced to 12%. NIK still works well with Sierra and its free!
When I used a lot of film Fujifilm ACROS was one of my favourites, that and Agfa emulsions, so when I see that the new Fujifilm Xpro2 and XT2 have ACROS baked into the jpeg processing engine there are many instances when I sort of wish I had a replacement for the ageing Xpro1 and preferably the XT2. There have been many instances when the auto focus in the Xpro1 has failed me so after reading the extensive review in Amateur Photographer this week I am sort of pushed closer to replacing the Xpro1. Black & White Phototography also has a review in the current edition which I have not read yet. The quality of the reviews in both magazines I have always found to be well worth the cost of the (digital) magazines. I don’t believe in shipping dead tree products around the planet.
There are so many website based reviewers its often a tedious process to sort the wheat from the chaff. However imaging-resource.com and Gordon Laing’s http://www.cameralabs.com are very thorough and worth reading when trying to decide what new kit to buy. For the last half dozen generations of digital cameras I personally wait for the initial introductory price to fall before I take the plunge, that way I get the advantage of not having to wait for L bars and things which for me are essential.

A very brave photographer risks life, limb and his beautiful Linhof Super Technika III 4×5 View Camera. I kid you not this is dangerous. The rock ledge he is perched on is about a metre wide and maybe one and a half metres long, but it is wet because every so often it gets splashed by that raging torrent that is flowing past him. The path that hangs on the north side of the gorge was closed up until the day before this image was made because it was totally flooded!

We used to call this tone elimination and it was a drawn out chemical proceedure involving intermediate positives as I recall not any more! Just one S curve and done. God how I love Photoshop even if it is CS6 do I really need anything more…

One thing I really like about the Xpro1 is the large easy to see exposure compensation dial. It allows one to manipulate the exposure while composing. For me its in the exact right position. Note to Fuji don’t change the position in the Xpro2!

Some of my favourite photographs taken by the well known photographers over the last hundred years have been shot ‘Contre jour’ or against the light. That increase in contrast created by under exposing the subject simplifies the subject often by pushing much of the peripheral content into shadow and defining that which is highlighted. Its a wonderful tool for creativity made easy by good design of the camera.